News accounts which suggest that this-still-to-be formed Fallujah Protection Army (FPA) will take over from the Marines, said to be evacuating "front line positions" within a few days, are only slightly less incredible than a report that Batman, the Hulk and Wolverine have joined the Navy to see the world.
Wretchard told us yesterday that the Marines leaving their positions in the Southeast part of the city wasn't the big deal the papers made it out to be...that is the center of the part of the city that we control.
I'm going to stick with my belief that the Marine Captain who said on Wednesday that we haven't even begun to see major offensive operations in Fallujah is closer to the truth than Reuters or the AP.
Two major briefings - Gen. Kimmitt, CJTF-7/CPA, and Gen. Abizaid, CENTCOM - and at least a half dozen DoD releases - based largely on the briefings - show that little has changed in Fallujah.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
..."The Marines have been extremely forthcoming in holding their fire, in choosing their targets, in trying to achieve a solution that's good for the good people of Fallujah"...."And yet, at the same time, will take out the common enemies that we share...that wish to destroy the peace process and the move to sovereignty in Iraq."
Fugitive terrorist Musab al-Zarqawi has used Fallujah as a base of operations, Abizaid said. A $10 million reward awaits the person who leads the coalition to Zarqawi.
...Abizaid called the notion that Fallujah will be a safe haven for Zarqawi "absolutely unacceptable."
"All military options with regard to Fallujah are on the table. And I say they're on the table because I can't tell you what the enemy will do. There is an enemy in Fallujah that has something to do with Zarqawi; it has something to do with foreign fighters. And I can assure you that that enemy will not be controlled by even the best people in Iraq. And so we will have to eliminate that enemy in a way that does not allow that force to challenge us throughout Iraq and other places at other times...it may still be necessary to conduct very robust military operations in Fallujah. We hope we don't have to do that. We look for a solution that allows Iraqis and Americans, together in a spirit of cooperation, to regain control for the good people of Fallujah so they can get on with their lives. But if the foreign terrorists and the foreign fighters and those extremists that are Iraqis, those people from the Iraqi intelligence Service or the Special Republican Guard that refuse to take part in the political process, refuse to lay down their arms, it may be absolutely necessary to have a strong fight in there. And we're prepared to do that at a time and a place of our choosing."
8 Abizaid Warns Fallujah Brigade Results Won't Be Instant + CENTCOM briefing transcript ~ DoD-AFPS | 4/30/04